Hand Drying Garment

ABSTRACT

A hand drying garment for drying hands during athletics and other situations is provided. The hand drying garment comprises a garment having a front side, a rear side, a pair of sides. A section of absorbent material is mounted to the garment. The section of absorbent material provides a hygienic and effective method of removing perspiration from hands.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application claims priority under 35 USC 119 (e) (1) fromU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/205,976 filed Aug. 17,2015, of common inventorship herewith entitled, “The Basketball HandDrying Garment,” which is incorporated herein by reference as though thesame were set forth in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of athletic wear, and morespecifically to the field of sportswear with moisture controlfunctionality.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A game that started with approximately eighteen men in a Young Men'sChristian Association or YMCA building, basketball has grown into asport that more than three hundred million people play worldwide. Theman who created this instantly successful sport had two weeks to createan indoor game that would provide an athletic distraction for a rowdyclass of men through the brutal winter. Outdoor games such as soccer andlacrosse were too physical and cumbersome for an indoor venue. Occurringon Dec. 21, 1891, the first basketball game was played with thirteenrules, a soccer ball, peach baskets, and nine players on each side.

Over the past century the essence of basketball, which is throwing aball into an elevated goal, has stood the test of time and remained thefocus from day one. This simplistic premise along with the fun andexcitement of a fast paced game has led basketball to become one of theworld's most popular sports played in backyards, community parks, schoolgymnasiums and multimillion dollar stadiums. A recurring challenge forcompetitive basketball players is keeping their hands dry whenperspiring during a fast paced basketball matchup. When the hands of theplayers become saturated with perspiration, players often lick theirhands and wipe them along the soles of their shoes to remove themoisture and improve their grip on the ball.

The prior art has put forth several designs for sportswear with moisturecontrol functionality. Among these are:

US Patent Publication 2012/0291177 to Michael Luscher describes amoisture control garment formed of a material that has moisture wickingor hydrophobic properties joined to another material with moistureabsorbing or hydrophilic properties. In certain embodiments, themoisture wicking and moisture absorbing materials are of similarthickness, have the same estimated shrinkage percentage, and the fibersof such materials are positioned in the same direction.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,276,235 to Daniel P. Naughton describes a wearable wipeunit having one or more absorbent members attachable to and removablefrom a retaining member or each other. The retaining member has a mouthwhich attaches to a user's waist band or belt. One or more absorbentmembers have a storage unit for securely holding a user's personaleffects. The bottoms of the front and back sides of the retaining memberare angled forward for ease of attachment.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,236 to Terry A. Klob describes sportswear havingreadily accessible toweling means which are detachably and invisiblyanchored to the waistband of the garments. The preferred garmentembodiment is for tennis shorts which includes at least one, andpreferably two, quick release hook and loop fasteners, one at thewaistband and optionally, a second one at the cuff line of the shorts.In both instances, these fasteners are incorporated into the garment soas to be essentially invisible when not in use to retain the towelingmeans. In another of the preferred embodiments of this invention, sleevetowels are releasably attached in an analogous manner to an athleticshirt or jersey.

None of these prior art references describe the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a line of athleticbasketball shorts containing a section of absorbent material in the formof a handprint, printed name, number or logo.

The present invention is a hand drying garment for drying hands duringathletics and other situations. The hand drying garment comprises agarment having a front side, a rear side, a pair of sides. A section ofabsorbent material is mounted to the garment. The section of absorbentmaterial provides a hygienic and effective method of removingperspiration from hands.

In addition, the present invention includes a method for drying hands.The method comprises providing a garment having a front side, a rearside, a pair of sides, mounting a section of absorbent material to thegarment, and providing a hygienic and effective method of removingperspiration from hands.

The present invention further includes a hand drying garment for dryinghands during athletics and other situations. The hand drying garmentcomprises a garment having a front side, a rear side, a pair of sides. Asection of absorbent material mounted to the front side of the garmentwith the section of absorbent material being substantially shaped as anopen hand print. The section of absorbent material provides a hygienicand effective method of removing perspiration from hands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view illustrating a hand drying garment,constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the dryinghandprint located on the right front bottom area of basketball shorts.

FIG. 2 is close up perspective view illustrating the hand dryinggarment, constructed in accordance with the present invention, showingthe drying handprint located on the right front bottom area of thebasketball shorts.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view illustrating the hand drying garment,constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the dryinghandprint located on the right front bottom area of the basketballshorts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, hereinafter referred to as a Hand Drying Garment,indicated generally 10, is a line of athletic basketball shorts or anyother type of athletic wear or garment 12 containing a section ofabsorbent material 14 mounted thereto. The section of absorbent material14 can be in the form of a hand print, a player's name, number, or teamlogo. The Hand Drying Garment 10 of the present invention providesbasketball players and other athletes with a more hygienic yet highlyeffective method of removing perspiration from the hands during play.

As stated above, the Hand Drying Garment 10 of the present inventionincludes the section of absorbent material 14 mounted to a portion ofthe garment 12. The section of absorbent material 14 can be mounted toany part of the garment 12 including, but not limited to, the front, thesides, and/or the rear of the garment 12. Preferably, the section ofabsorbent material 14 is sufficiently sized to fully dry a person'shand.

The section of absorbent material 14 of the Hand Drying Garment 10 ofthe present invention is preferably an absorbent polypropylene materialalthough having the absorbent material 14 constructed from a differentmaterial is within the scope of the present invention. The polypropylenematerial of the section of absorbent material 14 is beneficial for itsintended purpose of absorbency since polypropylene is known for itssuperior water resistance and dries much faster than polyester or nylon.

The section of absorbent material 14 of the Hand Drying Garment 10 ofthe present invention is preferably sewn to the garment 12. However, itis within the scope of the present invention for the section ofabsorbent material 14 to be mounted to the garment 12 by other meansincluding, but not limited to, welding, adhesive, other mechanicalmeans, formed in the garment 12 during manufacture, etc.

In a preferred embodiment, the section of absorbent material 14 of theHand Drying Garment 10 of the present invention has a distinctive shape,pattern, or format. For instance the section of absorbent material 14can be shaped as an open hand print, team logo, player's name or number.

In addition, preferably, the section of absorbent material 14 of theHand Drying Garment 10 of the present invention is dyed to match orcoordinate with the color of a player's garment 12, i.e., uniform.Augmentations that include colors and logos of collegiate andprofessional basketball organizations can also be added to the presentinvention.

The basketball shorts embodiment of the garment 12 of the Hand DryingGarment 10 of the present invention is similar in construction tocurrent regulation basketball shorts, which typically are made ofwicking material that absorbs sweat and ensures that it evaporatesfaster. The basketball shorts are typically oversized and loose fittingto facilitate freedom of movement and a comfortably cool feel while inthe heat of play. The shorts of the Hand Drying Garment 10 are producedin a variety of sizes and cuts, appropriate for players of all ages andboth genders. The titular hand print accoutrement sets this sportswearapart from common basketball shorts.

Relatively simple in construction yet extremely effective inapplication, the Hand Drying Garment 10 of the present invention isfunctionally operable as soon as the garment 12 is donned. If a playerstarts to feel his or her hands become slick with perspiration, just acouple of swipes of their palm along the section of absorbent material14 on the garment 12 completely dries their hand and instantly improvestheir grip on the ball or other sports equipment. The Hand DryingGarment 10 increases the player's acumen and eliminates an unseemlypractice of licking the hand and wiping it along the shoe sole, amakeshift perspiration solution that is extremely unsanitary. The HandDrying Garment 10 improves one's play as well as guarding their healthand well-being.

Although this invention has been described with respect to specificembodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto and variousmodifications which will become apparent to the person of ordinary skillin the art are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention as described herein taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings and the appended claims.

1. A hand drying garment for drying hands during athletics and othersituations, the hand drying garment comprising: a garment having a frontside, a rear side, a pair of sides; and a section of absorbent materialmounted to the garment; wherein the section of absorbent materialprovides a hygienic and effective method of removing perspiration fromhands.
 2. The hand drying garment of claim 1 wherein the section ofabsorbent material has a shape selected from the group consisting of ahand print, a player's name, number, and team logo.
 3. The hand dryinggarment of claim 1 wherein the section of absorbent material issufficiently sized to fully dry a person's hand.
 4. The hand dryinggarment of claim 1 wherein the section of absorbent material is anabsorbent polypropylene material.
 5. The hand drying garment of claim 1wherein the section of absorbent material is sewn to the garment.
 6. Thehand drying garment of claim 1 wherein the section of absorbent materialis formed in the garment.
 7. The hand drying garment of claim 1 whereinthe section of absorbent material has a distinctive shape, pattern, orformat.
 8. The hand drying garment of claim 7 wherein the distinctiveshape is an open hand print.
 9. The hand drying garment of claim 1wherein the section of absorbent material has a color to match orcoordinate with a color of the garment.
 10. The hand drying garment ofclaim 9 wherein the section of absorbent material is augmented toinclude colors and logos of collegiate and professional basketballorganizations.
 11. The hand drying garment of claim 1 wherein thesection of absorbent material is mounted to the front of the garmentonly.
 12. The hand drying garment of claim 1 wherein the section ofabsorbent material is mounted to multiple sides of the garment.
 13. Thehand drying garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is basketball shortsconstructed from a wicking material that absorbs and evaporates sweat,the section of absorbent material mounted to the garment.
 14. A methodfor drying hands, the method comprising: providing a garment having afront side, a rear side, a pair of sides; mounting a section ofabsorbent material to the garment; and providing a hygienic andeffective method of removing perspiration from hands.
 15. A hand dryinggarment for drying hands during athletics and other situations, the handdrying garment comprising: a garment having a front side, a rear side, apair of sides; and a section of absorbent material mounted to the frontside of the garment, the section of absorbent material beingsubstantially shaped as an open hand print; wherein the section ofabsorbent material provides a hygienic and effective method of removingperspiration from hands.
 16. The hand drying garment of claim 15 whereinthe section of absorbent material is sufficiently sized to fully dry aperson's hand.
 17. The hand drying garment of claim 15 wherein thesection of absorbent material is sewn to the garment.
 18. The handdrying garment of claim 15 wherein the section of absorbent material isformed in the garment.
 19. The hand drying garment of claim 15 whereinthe section of absorbent material has a color to match or coordinatewith a color of the garment.
 20. The hand drying garment of claim 15wherein the section of absorbent material is mounted to multiple sidesof the garment.